


Snapshots

by raytororo



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-01-24 15:31:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1610162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raytororo/pseuds/raytororo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank's a photographer, finding the beauty in even the ugliest of things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Out of a few ideas, the vampire one was the voted for. Gonna make this one quick.

As a photographer, Frank always tries his best to find the beauty in even the ugliest of things. He's still a bit new at the concept- the whole “photography business,” but is a quick learner. It hasn't made him a bunch of money as of yet, and he's feeling a bit regretful spending his summer's savings working part-time at the Super Mart down the road on an expensive camera. It looks past it, however, thanking his choice for giving him an opportunity to do something new instead of “waste his time trying to play guitar.”

“It's not just an expensive camera!” Frank says defensively at times, “It's a Canon EOS 60D DSLR Camera with an 18-135mm IS Lens.” A couple of weeks ago, that wouldn't have made a lick of sense to the teen. But as mentioned, he's a quick leaner. 

As if that mattered, half of him felt the same way about spending that amount of money on something so small. He spent a whole fucking lot of money on a stupid camera that barely makes money in return. After days and days of scolding and criticism from his mom, he promised to make her at least some money by the end of the year, as proof of the camera not being a useless buy after all. 

Every day, he thought about what to take a photo of next. He thought about the things around his small town: The town hall, the cracked sidewalks, the skies and fences. Anything that would catch the eye of a fancy pants, snooty asshole who finds some “hidden meaning” behind a stupid picture. Happened twice already, luckily enough. One guy, an older entrepreneur, found one of Frank's photos in a gallery he submitted them into in town. It was a photograph of a woman and her dog walking down the street, black and white. The man bought it for forty bucks, which was good enough for Frank at the time. He felt on top of the world, being one of the very few seventeen-year olds in his group of friends with that kind of money. He realized soon enough, though, that he would need to take more photos of random women if he was going to burn through his money as fast as he did on useless junk and snacks.

It's about the third week into Autumn, and he has only made thirty dollars. (Other than the two he previously sold, which only made him seventy bucks. All spent on a new bike.) With low hopes, he applied for the local newspaper as their new photographer, once he heard the old one had been murdered in an on-going, regional mass murdering. The guy was an old grouch anyway, he heard, he had it coming eventually. 

A day after applying, he got the job. They were desperate, the manager tells him, for being such a small town, it was hard to get people willing to do such a shitty job. But Frank took it happily, and was given his first few assignments right after his interview. 

Filled with excitement, Frank rode home on his new bike, camera slung on his side (In its respected case, of course) and his backpack around his shoulders. He didn't stop anywhere for once, actually. He rode straight home from the paper's office, taking a good ten minutes. He pulled up in front of his apartment, parking and locking his bike up before climbing the stairs to the third floor.

After unlocking the door with the key under the mat, he swung it open, greeting the pups and turning on the TV for some background noise. It'd help him feel less alone. He fed the dogs real quick and kicked off his shoes.

On his way to his room, he grabbed a bag of chips and a coke; just something quick to eat for dinner. His mom worked night shift at a small kidney dialysis care center, so she was hardly around. He was an only child, so he didn't really have anyone to keep him company at night. He spent most of his evenings with his friends or around town on his bike once school was out. 

He plopped down on his bed and unwrapped his first assignment from the manila folder he was given as well as his chips. Taking a bite of one, he read over the instructions. 

_Due September 23rd, Wednesday._ That was two days from now.

_A photo of the graffiti at town hall and a “no skating” sign._ Simple enough, right? 

It sunk in then, letting Frank realize that being a photographer shouldn't be so bad after all. I mean, he found a paying job now, and all he had to do was take pictures of stuff. Not bad at all. It sure as hell beat working over a hot stove in the back of some fast food restaurant. 

Frank sat on his bed for a few minutes, eating his snack of a dinner, trying to imagine the stories behind the photos he was going to need to take. 

He knew about the kids who were doing the graffiti; just a bunch of sophomores who were always doing the craziest shit. He felt a bit of remorse for whoever had to clean up all that mess on the town hall, considering all the work it must take to clean off a bunch of kids' fun. And the no-skating sign he'd need to find was pretty self explanatory. Just a bunch of kids probably doing things they weren't supposed to. Frank never really saw himself as being “that' kind of teen.

He was always laid back, never rambunctious. Had his fair experience with pot, but never took it far, and actually finding it to be boring after a few months of experimenting. He drew and wrote some, but that was it. He struggled in some of his classes, like math, but who didn't nowadays? He was just an average kid that no one really pays attention to. And he was fine with that.

There's nothing extraordinary about his looks either. His skin's fair, Italian mostly, and he's very short in stature. He has black hair and a messy mohawk that he hardly ever put up. Besides his lanky figure, he has a few tattoos that his mom has no idea about due to the fact that she hardly ever sees him without his usual gray hoodie. He has a lip and nose piercing, but that was it. He just seemed like a kid that would fit perfectly in a background. And he was fine with that.

Frank was fit with being just a “background” character, even in his “own story”, as he put it. He's accepted that there was no princess coming out that fell madly in love with him that he'd have to protect. No. He's just that kid in the back that never speaks up. He's Frank Anthony Iero. And he was fine with that.

The teen shook out of his haze and focused at the clock. Eight o' clock. He figured he'd save his shower for the morning, and went ahead and undressed, going down to his boxers and crawling into bed. Staying up late was never his thing. He appreciated the little things in life, like sleeping, way too much.

Before getting comfortable, however, he picked up his camera and went through his routine “photo cleansing.” He would check all the pictures he took that day, and erase the ones he found to not be as good as the others. After a few minutes of decisively deleting copies of the photos he took, he set his camera down on its charger and laid down. 

Curling up in his sheets, he thought of how eager he was to start working for the town's newspaper. It was a rank deemed brag-worthy to him. 

Town photographer. That had a nice ring to it. Kind of...

He fell to sleep with the thought of meeting the mayor, showing him his favorite landscaping portraits Frank took, being gifted with a gold medal and twenty hot girlfriends. He was Frank Iero. Photographer and crime solver of his little town of Allenwood. A hero. But still, the background character of his own story, somehow. And he was fine with that.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning came, and he woke with the same eagerness to tell his friends about his new job as the day before. He'd been planning how to tell them all morning as he got ready for school. He showered quickly, brushed his teeth, and ran out the door without bothering making breakfast. He figured he could stop by the gas station for some coffee and a doughnut or two on the way to school anyway. He had plenty of time, as usual. 

He stuffed his pockets with the money his mom leaves on the counter every morning when she returns from work. Five to six dollars a day, so he can get lunch. Since he didn't spend too much yesterday, he had eight dollars to spend today. 

Frank rode his bike down the dark roads. The sun still wasn't up yet, but Frank could feel the sunrise starting to peak over the horizon already. He pulled into the store and parked his bike on the sidewalk. 

The teen entered, hearing the familiar chime over his head. He waved hello to the cashier and scanned the isles. He came there often, and hardly anyone was ever there, especially at this house, but today, there was a few unfamiliar faces roaming around. Two hooded figures and a business man grabbing coffee. 

Frank picked out his usual coffee after the man in front of him finished using the machine. He filled the cup with creams and put a lid on it. He smiled at the warm scent and took a pastry out of the store's container. He shuffled over to the counter and greeted the cashier, quickly paying for his things. 

Once good, he shoved the wrapped pastry into his hoodie's pocket and took a sip of coffee, ready to leave when he heard the clatter of coins falling to the floor. He turned his head to see one of the hooded figures dive to pick up what they had dropped. 

Frank, being the decent sumerian he was, bent over to help. He piled in pennies and pennies into his hand until there was no more, watching as the guy behind the hooded guy pay for his stuff early and leave. Frank quickly handed over the coins, brushing up against the man's pale, cold skin and shuddering. He was given a quick “thank you,” and Frank took that as his dismissal. He waved goodbye and returned to his bike.

Luckily, the school wasn't far from the store, so he had plenty of time to study and read in the library until classes started. 

He was first in the school, as normal, and headed straight to the library. There, he studied on his calculus class that he hadn't really been paying much attention to in the past few days.

 

Lunch rolled around slowly, but when doesn't it? Frank had just finished his physics class, and met up with his friends at their lunch table after he grabbed his tray of food. 

“Dude, Ray, you'll never guess what!” Frank called out over the crowd of hungry teens. His friend, Ray was already seated at their table eating. Frank quickly joined him.

Ray Toro. Sure-to-be Valid Victorian of his class. Smart as fuck, as Frank would say, but always a bit shy around the ladies, as well as anyone else who wasn't his close friend. He was your everyday nerd pretty much, but he was an overall friendly guy. There was not a single thing that Ray could do wrong, and even if he did, everyone would excuse it. He's just not a bad guy. 

“Yeah, what's up, Frank?” Ray asked, gnawing at his apple as he watched and waited for their other friend to get back from the food line.

“I got a job, man.” Frank beamed, “In the newspaper.”

“The Gazette?” Ray asked, shooting him a quick glance and raising a brow. 

“Yeah! I'm the new photographer.” He set his prized camera on the table, patting its case. “I'm makin' some decent money for each photo. So lunch is on me.”

“Lunch is on you, huh?” Said his other friend from behind with his tray in hands. “Shoulda told me before I got my food, Iero.” 

“Sup, Mikes.” Ray grinned, patting the senior's back as he sat down next to Frank.

“Mn.” He grunted as he gave off a quick shrug and adjusted his beanie. He glanced over at Frank, who was eying his lunch instead of his own. “You not gonna eat your's?” He asked, nodding his head in the direction of Frank's tray.

“Eh, tacos aren't really my thing.” He said, sticking out his tongue, “Jus' something about the meat. I don't really dig meat all that much.”

“Hey, aren't Mexicans supposed to like, live off of tacos?” 

“He's Italian, Mikey.” Ray snorted, “I'm Puerto Rican. I think you got us mixed up again. Cut out that racist shit, man. It's not cool.” He looked up at Frank next. “Don't go all hipster-veggie on us, man. That's just not you.”

“Right right....” Frank hummed, pressing his lips together. Mikey's salad looked much better. “Trade, Mikes?”

“Gimme three bucks and I'll consider it.” Mikey retorted, a smug grin on his face.

“I'll buy you a coke if you just hand over your salad. You aren't even gonna eat it.” 

“Fine. Fair enough.” Mikey scooted his salad over, and in return, got Frank's tacos.

Frank was about to get up to go get the soda he promised, but was stopped when Mikey spoke again. “I didn't quite hear what job you got.”

“He's a photographer.” Ray told him from across the table. “For the paper.” 

Mikey only rolled his eyes. “How are you going to afford to buy me a soda, Frankie? I don't think you'll be making too much doing that.”

“Eh, it's alright. I kinda owe you for sayin' that shitty joke about your brother yesterday anyway.” Frank stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to find his wallet.   
“What joke?” Mikey returned, a bit confused.

As Frank fished out his wallet to grab a couple of bucks, Ray answered instead. “I think he's talkin' 'bout when he said that The Chupa got your brother.” 

“Ooooh.” Mikey said, casting his eyes down. “I mean...It's not that bad. It might've...It's been years...” 

“Don't turn this into a sap fest, Mikes. I don't like hearing you talk about him.” Frank coughed, breaking up the mood, “I'll go get your soda, just sit tight. No missing-brother shit, got it?” 

Before he could answer, Frank scurried off to get in the shortening line for Mikey's drink. 

The rest of the lunch passed a bit more quietly, and the teens went to their separate classes to finish off the day. Ray got off two hours early for work, and sometimes, Frank liked to skip his last two classes to go with him. Today was a great day to decide that maybe Ray could drive him through town to the town hall to get a picture of the graffiti. 

Ray quickly agreed, appreciating time spent with his friends, even if it was just giving him a quick lift down the road.

With his bike in the back of Ray's pickup, they went down to the town hall. Early, still, so Ray had time to get to work. Ray parked on the curb and let him out so he could take his picture. 

Frank went around the town hall, finding the corner that fell victim to the wrath of hormonal teenagers. In bright, yellow and pink stylized text read: “Chupacabra lives.”

Of all things, a cult-like saying was the last thing he expected to see., but shrugged it off. They must've been referring to the killings that have been happening all around for the past few years. The murderer strikes once a month or so, and Frank feels he's the only one who has caught on to that pattern. 

Chupacabra must've done something big to get its name written on a wall. Did it become some idol? All that Frank knows about it, is that it's kills are monthly, at night, and the few corpses it has left behind were drained of all organs and blood. 

He shook himself out of his daze, and Frank snapped a quick picture of the painted walls right as the cleaning guy came up with his supplies to start working at it. He returned to the curb and thanked Ray, taking his bike out from the bed of his truck next and setting off to the nearby park.

The ride was slow, taking a good portion of time to get to the park. Once there, he was feeling a bit queasy out of nowhere. The nausea hit him like a wave, and he took a minute to sit down on one of the park benches. He closed his eyes for a minute and waited for the feeling to pass, opening his eyes up again to see children and trees.

And there, sure enough, was the second, “no skating” sign; The only one Frank really knew of at the time. He set up his lens and focus, sighing as he saw that the lighting just wasn't right enough for the effect he really wanted. After waiting a few minutes for the sun to hit the sign just right, Frank took his pictures and got back onto his bike, heading for the Gazettes's office building last. 

He took a shortcut there, going down a dirt road before hitting the suburbs. Down the street, past the school and almost into the next town, was the office. It took quite some time to get all the way there from the park.

Parking his bike outside the entrance, Frank entered with a bit of self esteem. He greeted the lady at the front desk, then was given access to the back offices.   
It was quick and easy, seeing how the office had its own printers just set out in the break room. He plugged in his camera and started to print off the good photos he took of the graffiti and the sign. He took to his manager's office that was luckily just a few doors down. It wasn't an overly huge building, but he could still manage to lose his way if he wasn't paying close attention.

Once in his office, Frank showed his manager his prints. With a grunt, Mr.Weber approved, gave him thirty dollars and his next assignment, and sent Frank right on his way.. 

Frank rode home rather slowly, happy with his earnings. He decided to stop at the store and pick up a pack of cigarettes with his fake ID as a reward to himself. He hopped off his bike and set his things next to it, knowing it was going to be a quick trip in. He shuffled in and got what he needed, picking himself up a soda as well.   
His eyes wandered outside, noticing how dark it was getting. He couldn't have spent that long out of school, had he? He checked his phone, surprised with the time. It was late. He hissed under his breath, wondering just how the hell he lost track of time so quickly. 

Rubbing his head, Frank made his way to the counter and began getting out the bills he needed. He payed the tired cashier, waving him goodbye as he made his way back outside again. 

He popped the lid of his soda and took a sip, eyes widening as he made his way to his bike again. There, leaning over his bike, was a hooded figure, looking into the lens of his camera. Frank quickly set aside his drink on the curb and rushed over, snatching it from his bony fingers. 

“Hey! Dude! Back up!” Frank hissed, looking over his camera for any damage. It was on, must've been the guy playing with it, and quickly flipped it back off. He should remind himself in the future not to leave his bags outside of the store, no matter how quick the trip inside.

The man stepped back, hands up in the air. 

“I'm sorry--! It was – nice. I've seen your photos...in the gallery the town over.” His voice wasn't deep, no way he couldn't been a man. He wasn't the size of a man either, to think about it. He was small in frame, but his face was shadowed by the hoodie, even with the lights above flickering. 

“Ramtown?” Frank asked, getting a nod in response.

“Yeah—I bought the one with the roses on it.” 

Frank watched as the boy (or teen) dug into his pocket and unfolded the photo, showing him the photo Frank took weeks ago of his mother's garden on their apartment's patio.

“You bought that for twenty dollars and you fold it up in your pocket?” Frank sounded judgmental, more than he thought he did. This guy seemed a bit weird.

“Actually, it was thirty, and yes.” He stuffed it back into his pocket. “I think it's nice and pretty. I like to look at it.” 

Frank shrugged, “Well, yeah, I guess. That's what photos are made to do, I guess.” 

The boy nodded, shifting his weight to his other foot. “Sorry about touching your camera...” He muttered, kicking a rock that was on the sidewalk. Frank looked down at the camera in his hands, and shrugged again.

“It's...alright. As long as it's not broken. As long as you don't do it --” He looked up to see that the boy had disappeared. Vanished, almost, without a sound. 

“...Again...” Frank finished with a sigh, and started putting his camera back into his bag.

He slung his bags over his back and hopped back onto his bike, trying to shake off the awkward vibe he got from that roses-kid. 

Riding home, he noticed how hazy things were getting. Frank figured it was just because he had a long day, and was exhausted from riding his bike everywhere. He rode home quicker than usual, trying to shake the feeling that he was being watched. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, Frank just always hated riding his bike home so late in the dark. It always gave him chills.

He made it home, locked his bike up, and practically flew up the apartment's steps to his door, and rushed inside, locking it behind him. Frank heaved a sign of relief and flipped the lights on, being greeted by hungry dogs. He didn't bother turning on the TV for the background noise, and went straight into the kitchen to where the dog bowls were. 

“Sorry guys...sorry.” He told them as he quickly got their food out, as if they could respond back to every word he was saying to them. “Had to work today...moving up in the world finally.” He petted them for a few seconds as they began to eat, shucking his backpack to the floor and heading to his room. 

He kicked off his shoes and stuffed away his cigarettes in his sock drawer, knowing his mother never looked in there anyway. He decided that saving a smoke for later would be better. Probably tomorrow. 

He opened up his envelope of his next assignment and read it quickly. 

_Picture of the church gathering September 27th._ That was this coming Sunday. So he had plenty of time to relax and not worry about it. Tomorrow, he had the idea of saving the day for a photo session in the park or just outside the school. There wasn't anything going on anyway.

He picked up his camera and decided to do his usual photo cleansing process before bed. He leaned down against his headboard and flicked on his camera, pressing the playback button to review what he had. He started out checking the ones he took in the morning, progressively going throughout the day. 

He deleted the ones of the graffiti and the sign and sighed, thinking they were the only things left. As the last photo of the sign was erased, Frank almost dropped his camera in his lap at the sudden change of photos. 

Staring back at him was a boy, young and pale, wearing a big smile. It was hard on the eyes, his skin was practically white; being a difficult change from the warm light of his sign photos. Frank looked closer, thinking he must've taken the photo with the flash on, otherwise, he wouldn't be so whited out. 

The boy in the photo had the tiniest of teeth, shaping out to some pretty sharp canines. He had dark eyes, red glare from the camera. His face was covered with messy, black hair, bangs falling all over his face. He was wearing a hoodie, and that's when it hit him.

It was that kid from the store. The one that was playing with his damn camera. Frank gritted his teeth out of frustration, but felt it melt away as he progressed through the ten photos the boy took. All selfies, some seeming accidental. Most were blurry, except the first, which was clear as day. He smiled in all the photos except for the last one, which was a blurry close up of his hazel eyes. It must've been the point where Frank caught him.

Frowning, Frank found himself turning his camera off and setting it on the charger. He got rid of the rest of his clothes, deciding to save his shower for the morning again. He turned off his lamp and laid down with a tired sigh. 

He fell asleep, thinking of the odd boy at the store. Thinking that maybe he's seen him before at school. He did look awfully familiar, but couldn't quite put a name to the face. For now, he was known as the rose-boy to Frank, despite his lack of color. 

As he drifted off to sleep, Frank remembered that he didn't quite have the heard to delete the photos the stranger took. And for some reason, he was fine with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all know who that guy is, don't act surprised. Eheheh


	3. Chapter 3

Frank had it easy, he thought, as he rode his bike to school the next morning. He didn't stop for his usual coffee coffee, instead, enjoying the cool breeze of the fresh morning air. It was still dark out, the roads were went with the morning mist, and it the only light that seemed to light up the empty street was the ominous glow of street lamps that came from the suburbs near the school. 

In his ear as he rode, he preferred to have some kind of music playing, to keep away all the spooky noises that seemed to haunt him on his morning rides. This morning, he had playing Smashing Pumpkins, a usual favorite of his. It seemed the world had been drained out and filled with the slow rock of Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness instead. 

It was maybe six in the morning, (Frank got up rather early each and every day) and he had decided that getting a picture of the sunrise would be great to sale. At the park and up a tree, he chose, riding off in the park's direction. Anything for a good picture. He seemed to be grasping the whole photographer concept after all. 

Half ways there, things began to feel...ominous. Frank was constantly looking over his shoulder at all the fog he had just passed through. He felt like he was being watched, or worse, followed. He tried to shake the feeling, but every time he felt an urge to look back, he did.

He decided to speed things up, pedaling a little harder and faster now. The cool, morning breeze became a bit harsher, almost freezing. 

He turned his neck to again to check behind him the second he had the urge, spotting a shadow in the fog off to the side of the road, just standing there. Frank freaked out, turning back to bike further away, but was caught off guard by something standing directly in the middle of his path, a few feet off. 

He screamed, steering off the road and into a ditch, blacking out a second later.

 

Frank woke back up with a jolt, sitting up. He was in his bedroom again. It was cold again. He checked his phone for the time. Ten in the morning. 

Letting out a groan, Frank slid out of bed and decided to trudge towards the kitchen for something to eat.

How the hell he got back to his room from the road, he had no idea. But he had a pounding headache. He groaned like a zombie as he scanned the fridge, grabbing sandwich materials. He closed the door again to see his mom standing right behind the door, disappointed. He jumped.

“Frank Anthony. What have I told you about skipping school?” She scolded as Frank caught his breath again.

“I-I didn't mean to- I was-” 

She smiled then, quickly, as if she planned to startle him. “I know. I heard what happened.”

Frank furrowed his brows, “What happened?” He repeated, rubbing his head, “What did happen?”

“Mikey brought you over right before school started. He said you were knocked out on his doorstep.” She hummed, starting the sandwich for him. “'said you had a nasty bump on your head.”

Frank frowned, “Oh.” He had no idea. Last thing he remembered was falling off of his bike and onto the side of the road. At least he had good enough friends like Mikey to take him in. “Where's my stuff?”

Ms.Iero pressed her lips in a thin line. “Mikey has it all at his house. He said he found your bike and bags on the side of the road, near the park.” She didn't want to press why he was there, figuring he was just wanting to take more photos.

“Should I go and get it?” Frank asked, “I mean...I don't really feel like going to school so uh...”

“I think it's best you laid down for the rest of the day.” She recommended, handing over the sandwich she made for him. “I'm sure it'll all still be there tomorrow. You can stop there on the way to school if you're feeling better in the morning.” 

Her son only nodded, taking a bite of the sandwich and smiling. Cheese and vegan meats, his mom really knew him well. 

“I'll go lay back down then.” He said, taking a seat in the kitchen, “I mean, after this sandwich, of course.” He laughed lightly as his mom ruffled his hair. 

“I'll get out a few aspirin for your headache... Maybe a melatonin to help you sleep too.” She wandered off to search through the cabinets to find said medications. After fetching Frank them and a glass of water, she set them next to his almost-finished sandwich. “I gotta go so...” She kissed his forehead and grinned, “See ya later, honey.” 

Frank nodded, “I thought your shift wasn't until four or something?”

“Well, I have some things I need to do. Visit a friend and pick up a few things. I'll nap in the car. Don't worry, hun.”

Frank gave her yet another nod and a wave, tossing his paper plate into the trash and grabbing his water to down the few pills his mother laid out for him.

“I almost forgot-- did you take your anxiety medicine this morning?” She asked as she gathered her coat and purse as she got ready.

Frank shrugged, “I think so...yeah.” He gave it some thought for a second. “Yeah, I did.”

“Alright then, see ya later.” 

She was out the door in a minute or so, waving as she left. Frank sighed and popped his pills, heading off back to his room. 

It was going to be a slow day, and his headache was not helping him stay awake at all. He just wanted to sleep. 

He curled up with one of his dogs, Cherry, on his bed, and played on his laptop for a while as he waited for the melatonin to kick in.

He hopped onto facebook for a while; no friends, no notifications, he expected. But there was one, only one, and he clicked it to see that it was Mikey making a post about him not being in school. He rolled his eyes with a soft smile as he clicked to read his status.

_Frank, you ditched on project presentation day. Classy._

Frank snorted, forgetting all about their stupid book report on Oedipus that they had to do. That book was a motherfucker, or well, Oedipus was. Frank did most of the research anyway, so he figured that Mikey and his other friend, Bob, had no trouble presenting without him. 

He let out a yawn, figuring it was time for a nap. He closed the lid to his laptop and set it on his nightstand. He moved Cherry out of the way and laid down and closed his eyes.

Besides the chill that happened to blow into his room as his dreams hit him, it was a nice nap. He curled up in his sheets as he hoped the heater would turn on.

 

Frank gave no thought about the time once he was awake again, only knowing that it had to be evening time or so because the sun was just starting to set, making the light leaking from his window a warm orange glow. Not that it mattered, he had a concussion probably, and needed the rest. 

Instead of taking a shower, he sprayed on a splash of cologne, which was different from his usual stance of cleanliness. But it was a good substitute for now.   
He wandered around the apartment for a while until he remembered he had a pack of cigarettes stowed away. It was one of those times, he felt under a bit of stress, and needed the relaxant, even if he just woke up only minutes before.

He slid open his drawer and pulled out one cigarette from the pack along with a lighter, heading to the balcony a second later. 

The glass door slid open with ease, which was odd, it should've been locked. Ah well. He took a seat in the only chair there and decided to watch the sunset as he smoked.

He lit it, taking a slow inhale and sighing, watching the smoke fly off. He closed his eyes again, happy and content. His mind fell at ease to the thought of having a concussion. Another drag, coughing slightly as the smoke entered him. 

“You know,” Said a voice, causing Frank to sit up in his chair. “...Smokin's bad for ya.”

Frank looked around the balcony, frantic, but no one was there. It didn't mean his heart didn't stop racing. 

“Behind you, silly.” Giggled the voice, causing him to turn around. Nothing there either. He panted, swallowing hard as he turned back forward, practically jumping as he saw the hooded figure.

It was that rose-kid again! Frank thought, trying to collect himself. He gripped the chair, feeling a small sting on his thigh. He looked down to see that he had dropped his cigarette in his lap, quickly retrieving it. 

“What are you doing here-!?” Frank choked out, quickly taking another drag of his cigarette. The boy grinned.

“I brought back your stuff.” He said, quiet. “It was at.uh...this kid's place so I thought I could save you the trouble. You had a nasty fall. ” A few seconds passed, “You smell nice.”

Frank stared at him, seeing his backpack and camera bag at his feet. He also looked off to the horizon to see that he had missed the good part of his sunset. Damnit.

“How did you get up here?” Frank asked immediately, remembering that he was on his balcony of a rather tall apartment, completely disregarding his creepy statement of pointing out his scent. Probably the cologne. 

“Climbed.” The boy spoke, sweeping dark hair out of his eyes, “'Wasn't hard.”

Frank nodded skeptically. “...How did you know I lived here...?”

“Oh!” He hummed, “When I went to go get your stuff-- the guy told me you lived here.”

Frank bit his lip, wondering if Mikey would actually let a stranger just take his stuff. 

“How'd you know my stuff was there?” Frank asked.

“You ask a lot of questions for a guy who just got his stuff back from a generous stranger.” He giggled again. God, that giggle sent more chills up Frank's spine. “I kinda saw him grab it, on my way home, and uh...watched him take it home. It was the same direction of my house so...”

Frank could only nod, “...Alright...so uh...you could go now.”

The boy looked at him, then back to the edge of the balcony, tilting his head. “Go inside then.” 

Frank sat up from his chair and put out his cigarette. “I want to see you climb down.” He smirked. The boy just laughed again. 

“No no...if that's the case...can I use your stairs?”

Frank shrugged, looking back at the edge and at his sliding doors. “Uh...sure?”

Frank grabbed his bags, opened the door, and went inside, stopping a second after he realized the hooded boy wasn't following him. 

“You okay?” Frank hummed, staring at him just standing stiffly there.

“It's rude to walk in without being invited.” He said with a soft, seemingly forced, smile. 

“Well, I'm inviting you in, so come on.” He set his bags aside and waited as the boy came inside on cue before closing the door again behind him.

Frank led him to the front door. “...Don't come up like that again.” He scolded, causing the boy to stare at him. “If you want to...uh, drop something else off, just use the front door. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

The hooded boy only nodded. “Okay. Sorry 'bout that- I was just in a rush.”

“Yeah, alright.” Frank raised a brow as he opened the front door. “Bye, kid.”

“It's Gee.” He said, out of the blue the second he took a step out. “Call me Gee.”

It was odd, Frank thought, seeing this kid only twice, and he gave him his name. He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Call me Frank, then.” 

“Okay, Frank. Although, I already knew that.”

“How'd you know?” As if this kid couldn't get any more creepy...

“Your name is signed on the back of my photo.” Gee said with a smile. “I will see you later!” 

Frank nodded, watching him go down the stairs. “Sure, alright.” And he closed the door. 

After a minute to shake off the awkward interaction, Frank slid into the kitchen to grab a bite before heading off to bed again. He opened the fridge door, searching for something to eat. He settled for some cereal, and grabbed the milk.

Frank had just begun to pour his milk as a thought popped into his head, causing him to drop the small jug.

How the hell did that kid get both his heavy bags up to the third floor of his apartment as he climbed it? 

Whatever the case, that Gee kid was an oddball, and it was best to avoid him for now on. If he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, his dog is named Cherry. He has three dogs. Two girls, one boy. Guess the other names? HAH ~creativity~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I just got the motivation to finish this dumb chapter. Leave me some motivation to keep going please ! I'm kinda enjoying writing this

A week passed, and it was Friday night, Frank feeling relieved for the weekend after a long school week of homework and catching up. Between now and when he fell off his bike the other day, he had yet to see that rose kid...Gee or whatever his name was. 

Frank was out with his friends, having no newspaper photos to take, so the weekend was all his. Mikey had invited him to a movie with him and Ray, and of course, Frank agreed. It's been a while since he's seen a movie at an actual theater compared to him usually pirating movies off of his laptop, so this would be a good change.

They met up at a shop in town at dusk, all conversing together and trying to figure out what movie to watch. They decided finally, after twenty minutes of arguing, to go with a movie titled “Vamp Money.” A good horror, the reviews say, and Frank was all into it already by seeing the previews on commercials the other day. Ray was iffy, but agreed after coaxing him with a few free snacks.

They rode their bikes to the theater, which wasn't too far, but their legs were still sore by the time they reached it, eager to get in their seats and relax.

Ray and Frank put their money together and split the cost of the tickets if Mikey agreed to buy snacks, which he did, not expecting the cost of popcorn, sodas, and Skittles to be over ten dollars. Snickering, they found their way to the theater, finding seats in the middle in the surprisingly almost-empty house. There was a young couple and a few lone people scattered about. Ten total, if even that. That sat in height order, Frank, Mikey, Ray. 

Commercials, not previews yet, played, and the group of teens mocked them for a short while due to the fact that their movie didn't start for another fifteen minutes.

“So it's a vampire movie?” Ray whispered over with a giggle, reading his ticket.

“No no, it's not just a vampire movie! It's about modern business men vampires...” Mikey would correct, explaining what he had heard of it. Frank sat by, nodding, listening, as he slurped down half of his coke. Then, after a short talk from Mikey, they decided to play on their phones until the movie started.

Frank hadn't been paying too much attention, and sucked down almost all his coke. He frowned, shaking around the small pieces of ice inside before sitting up.

“Hey- It's five minutes before the movie starts!” Ray called out to him. 

Frank shook his empty cup at him once, “Be right back.” He said before easing his way out from the seats and down the ramp to the door. The other two boys sighed, and relaxed as the lights began to dim and the previews began playing.

Frank dragged his feet across the theatre's carpet, looking at the posters of newer movies coming out soon as he made his way to the dimly-lit concession stand. He got in one of the three short lines, thinking he should grab something else to snack on before the movie.

He hummed, getting out his wallet as he checked over the options again. Refill on his coke and some nachos sounded good. After a few minutes, he got to the front of the line, and he ordered, waiting another minute to get his food.

He thanked the cashier, paying five dollars, and turning back around with his food, only to come face to face with Gee.

“Oh!” He chimed, “It's you, Frank!” 

It wasn't enough time, Frank had ran straight into him, knocking his nachos not only onto the guy's shirt, but also onto the floor. Frank let out a groan as he bent over to pick up the mess, scooting out of the way for other people while Gee stared him down.

“I'm so sorry--” Frank apologized, stopping short when he forgot his name.

The boy chuckled, wiping the cheese off of his Misfits shirt with a napkin he grabbed. “It's okay.” 

Frank rolled his eyes, this guy was too cheerful. He thought of playing it off as apologizing to his nachos and not him, but figured that would be too rude, and Frank just wasn't a super mean guy.

Once all the mess was cleaned, theater staff trudged their way into the scene to seal the deal and finish the rest with some cleaners. 

Frank sighed, looking down at his half-empty nachos, thinking he should've probably saved some from the floor. Five minute rule after all...or five second.  
Goddamnit, what did it matter? There were good nachos gone to waste on the floor! Frank let out another loud groan, looking back at the pale kid who stood there stiffly looking at him.

“You want em?” Frank asked, “Your shirt ate most of them already. I hope that doesn't stain. S'good shirt.” He chewed the inside of his cheek.

Gee shook his head, “No no! It's alright!” He dug into the pockets of his jeans, pulling out a twenty and handing it over to him. “I'm sorry about your nachos. Here.”

Frank took it, looking up at him again in disbelief. “Dude. Twenty? Shouldn't I be paying you-?”

“It's just money Frank.” Gee giggled, “It was my fault I was in your way anyway.”

It was so hard to see his face. The theater must've made some budget cuts and turned off most of the lights, but Frank could still make out his pearly whites. 

“Uhh...” Frank thought about the money, shoving it into his pocket before any last minute decisions. Cash was good anyway. 

“If you feel so bad about it, you can always owe me something.” The boy winked, throwing himself into a fit of giggles.

“Owe you what?” Frank asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Maybe you can take my picture some time!” Gee responded, sounding hopeful. “Or would you need more money to do that? A photoshoot...”

“Uh-- no no! This is fine! Twenty is fine! I can do it.” He felt guilty still for ruining his shirt. This was the least he could do in return.

“Great! When are you free?” Gee asked, grabbing a napkin and a pen from his pocket. 

Uh...when are you?” Oh god, this sounded like an awkward date-making-plan in progress.

“Any morning or any night. My schedule is kinda backwards.” He halfway smiled, shrugging.

“Tomorrow night then?” Frank asked, sounding a bit too hopeful for his liking. Gee only nodded eagerly. 

“Sounds good!” He chirped, “I guess I'll see you then...” He turned on his heel and was out the door, disappearing from sight into the dark. 

Odd, Frank thought, wondering why the hell the kid didn't stay for whatever reason? Maybe he worked there and his shift ended? Or maybe his movie did? Whatever the case, it wasn't his problem.

Frank rubbed the back of his neck, sighing as he ordered some new nachos before returning back to his theater. He found his seat with his friends after some struggle, and plopped back down. 

“Dude! What took you so long?” Ray whispered. It was a slow scene about five minutes into the movie.

“Bumped into this weird kid again.” He whispered back, shrugging his shoulders slightly. “He gave me twenty for spilling my nachos on him. Can't complain.”

“Dude! Nice! Fuck those weird nerd kids!” He held up his hand for a high five, frowning when he realized Frank didn't return the gesture. 

“We are the nerd kids.” Mikey snorted from in between them. “Just shut up and watch the movie.”

And so they did, all relaxing again to enjoy the shitty horror flick. In the end, the only one who thought it was worth it was Frank, riding his bike home after the other two left. Unlucky for him, it began to rain down hard on the ride back. But he rode the slick roads anyway, trying his best to see through the rain and get home as soon as he could.

It was even later now, almost midnight, when Frank got home soaking wet. His mother wasn't home, and he let out a long sigh. He kicked off his soaked sneakers at the door, peeling off his wet socks a second later. He groaned, grabbing a nearby dirty towel, and wiping his feet before he trekked further into his house.

Into the bathroom he went, tossing the towel in the corner to use again once he got out of his shower. It felt like an every day horror film, maybe. That, or he was still feeling the jump scares from the movie. He shuddered, washing and rinsing his hair rather quickly, singing to himself as he did so.

_“Come in~ Come in~ We welcome you all~ Through the eyes of the lion, through the walls we will crawl~”_

A song he wrote himself, that'd he'd been working on for a time. He finished the chorus, forgetting the rest he had, and made up a few lines by the time he was finished washing himself.

He wrapped his towel around his waist, using a smaller one to dry his hair as he stepped in front of the mirror to slick his hair back and check out his own features for a short while.

Slimmer face, a few small pimples, but he thought of himself as not too bad looking. He smiled, doing a few expressions with his reflection before he turned around to come face to face with the pale, dark-haired boy. Again.

“Hey, Frank!” He chirped happily, Frank just let out a long scream. He was still ever so jumpy from the movie. Gee began doing his creepy giggles again, causing chills to go down Frank's spine.

“What the fuck are you doing here?!” Frank snapped, “How did you get in?!”

Gee's smile faded slightly, “I followed you home cause it started raining...and uh...my parents weren't home so the door was locked. I figured, that I could trade in that photo shoot for a sleepover thing because I have no where to really go...”

Frank stared at him, “Okay, fine, but you didn't answer how you got in.” He watched as the boy wiped a wet, dark bang from his face. 

“The door.” He hummed, “...It was practically open.” 

Frank narrowed his eyes and groaned, “Fine fine, whatever, just...” He pushed him out, “Wait out there until I'm ready.”

Gee opened his mouth to say something right as Frank slammed the door shut again. He heaved an annoyed sigh and looked back into the mirror, fixing his hair again. He grabbed a pair of basketball shorts and a tee shirt, shuffling out of the bathroom again to see Gee cornered by one of his small dogs. 

“Hey, Miles, get away from him.” Frank ordered, but the dog kept barking, snarling at the scared boy. Frank walked over and plucked the growling dog up, putting him in the bathroom with the other two he had, and closing the door. Gee's presence seemed to upset them quite a bit. 

“Sorry,” Frank apologized, looking back at the slightly-shaking boy, “They're nervous around strangers.”

“I know.” He said quickly, “All dogs are afraid of me.” He giggled at that and looked around the apartment. “It's a nice nest you got going on here..”

Frank chose to ignore his odd vocabulary, “...Uh, yeah. It's nice. I'm an only kid so no other brats to clean up after. I'm fairly clean.” He shrugged, watching Gee wander into his room, then followed after him. 

Gee's eyes lit up at the sight of each poster. “Ooooh, Pumpkins and Smiths?” He mused, “I like your style...Oh! And Maiden...” 

Frank watched him slowly walk around his room, before he stopped in the middle. “So, where am I sleeping?”

“I thought you said your schedule was weird.” Frank raised a brow, thinking this kid was going to keep him up all night. 

“It is...but I like to sleep too much.” Another giggle, “I won't stay up too late. And I'll be gone by morning.” 

Frank nodded, “...My bed pulls out into another mattress. I'd put you on the couch if the couches weren't so small.” 

“I'm a small person, I could fit.” He quickly said, considering the spot on the couch.

“Yeah, but my dogs would keep barking through the door. They do that.” He rolled his eyes and went to his bed to begin setting it up for him. “'S'not that big of a deal anyway. I haven't had anyone sleep over since Mikey last did a few years back, so it'll be a nice change.” The mattress unfolded quickly, and Frank tossed a pillow on it. 

“Mikey...” Gee pursed his lips together. “That tall boy...Yeah yeah..I know him.”

“Yeah, ya do. You said you got my stuff from his place the other day? A few weeks ago or something.” Frank raised another curious brow to the boy just sitting down.

“Yes, I did. He's nice.” He smiled and laid down, staring up at the ceiling for a short while as Frank got up to turn off the lights and turn on some low music. He plopped down on his own mattress and grabbed his phone to play on, not noticing his guest still staring straight up at the ceiling for a few whole minutes.

“Not gonna lie, Gee, you're really weird yet oddly familiar.” Frank said out of the blue once the first song ended.

The boy glanced over at him, “That's weird.”

“No, you're weird.”

“Well, you're not too normal yourself, Frank.” Gee countered with a snicker.

Frank rolled his eyes, setting his phone down on the desk next to his bed before curling up in his blankets. 

“It's cold down here.” Gee said quietly. “You didn't give me anything to cuddle.” 

“Cuddle the damn pillow.” Frank snorted from his own bed, not bothering to look his way.

“But I'm cold-natured.” Gee whined back up at him, “And I'm still a little wet from the rain.”

Frank groaned and sat up, sliding out of bed to turn back on the light and wander around his room as he got a few things. He tossed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt Gee's way turned away. 

“Change. Hurry. So I can sleep.” Frank ordered, folding his arms over his chest.

Gee scrambled to change out of his soaking, stinky hoodie and slipped on the dry shirt. He stood to practically tear off his jeans. They were still disgustingly wet, and he tossed them aside, pulling up the shorts that tightly hung around his hips. 

“Thank you...” He said softly, laying back down on the still-blanketless bed. 

Frank spun back around and stared at the shivering boy on the pull out mattress, sighing. “I don't really have any more blankets...” He said, catching Gee's gaze in his own.

“A-a towel might work...” Gee muttered, shivering.

“You really think seventy two is cold--?”

Frank was interrupted when he noticed Gee's bobbing head, sighing again as he thought over his options.

“We can share my bed then. We can squeeze.” He said, looking away. 

“I don't really think--”

“No, Gee, it's fine. Whatever. I'd feel bad if you froze to death because I had no other blankets.” He let out a sarcastic laugh and flipped off the light switch again before he sat back down on his bed. Gee watched as the smaller boy patted his bed.

Gee smiled, hopping up happily with him, curling up at his side like a cat. Frank only laughed. 

“Come on, ya weirdo.” Frank smiled, laying down and pulling Gee with him. Frank forced himself to lay on his side, shoved up to his wall to make enough room for the pudgier boy, who clung to him for warmth.

“You're so warm...” He purred, scooting a little closer to him and get more under the blanket. 

“And you're fuckin' freezing!” Frank hissed, laughing a bit. “What did you do? Eat an igloo? Become dead? Live in Antarctica?”

“Only a few times.” Gee whispered with a giggle. Frank only nodded with another laugh.

“Hah, alright. Well, goodnight, Gee.” 

“Good night, Frank.”


	5. Chapter 5

A dull ache.

A sharp pain.

A throbbing burn.

Then black.

Frank woke up drenched in sweat, sore all over. His head pounded with what felt like the biggest fucking hangover. He let out a groan, rubbing his sore neck, feeling something crusty peel away from his skin. 

He glanced down at his hand, seeing red flakes through his blurry vision, swallowing hard. “Dried blood?” he choked out, scooting out of bed, letting his feet hit the cold floor. 

_What time was it? Fuck, it was bright._

What felt like a migraine crept up as a small throbbing in the back of Frank's skull. Another groan, and he shuffled to the bathroom, letting his feet drag behind him. The three dogs poured out once he opened the door, running around the apartment happily. Frank had forgotten about them. _What else did he forget...?_

Frank blinked, staring at himself in the mirror, trying to focus. He clumsily stretched to grab a small bottle of aspirin. Downing them with water, and he returned his gaze to his reflection, his tired eyes making it seem as if his own reflection was fading. He rubbed them again with his sweaty palms, deciding then that maybe a shower would help. 

He was feeling particularly colder than usual, turning the shower's knobs on an unbelievably hot setting that Frank hardly ever used. He shucked himself of his clothes, tossed a towel onto the toilet to grab later, and slid in.

The water ran over him, steaming up the entire glass shower door and mirror already. He sighed, wetting his hair before scrubbing body soap into his hair as well as his entire body, scrubbing his skin with a washcloth. His skin was smoother, still feeling cool despite the heat of the water. He bumped up the heat a bit more, and rinsed, not bothered by the scalding hot water. 

After rinsing off all the sticky sweat, he stepped out, grabbing his towel and drying off slowly. His headache dulled a bit, and the sleep was washed out of his eyes. Frank tossed his dirty clothes in the hamper before walking back into his bedroom, shutting a bright ass window on his way back with a towel wrapped around his waist. 

He opened his closet, jumping back when the pale kid yawning and stretching sitting on a box of his clothes. 

_That's what he forgot._

“G-Gee! Jesus Christ! You fucking scared me!” He grabbed his chest to emphasize his startled heart rate. 

“Mnsk.” The dark haired boy smacked his lips together, “Sorry, I have a thing for sleeping in small places.” 

Frank caught his breath before snagging a t-shirt and pair of shorts from under him, causing Gee to slip on the way out. 

Frank snorted and left the room for a minute to change, tossing his towel back into the bathroom for it to dry before returning to see Gee flopping on Frank's bed.

“Ugh, what time is it...?” He said from the mattress. “I feel so fucking good.” 

Frank checked his phone, which was almost dead. “...nine in the morning.” He groaned, rubbing his eyes again. 

Gee nodded from his spot and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before smiling up at Frank, who just stared right back at him. “...It's too late for me to go back home.” He glanced out the door, scrunching up his nose at the light leaking into the apartment. “Can you close the blinds and curtains?”

Frank turned his head slightly to see what he was looking at, not liking the light either. He quickly moved to change it, closing the curtains all around the apartment until it was lit with the sun's dim glow. 

“What do you mean it's too late for you to go home?” He asked as he returned to his spot on his bed.

“Oh,” Gee blinked, “My parents, uh...work nightshifts and lock the door while they sleep. I have to wait till night.”

Frank only nodded, figuring it was best not to bring up his comment from last night about him leaving early in the morning, and checked his phone for any new messages. One from Mikey, but he didn't bother checking it.

Gee sighed happily, moving out from the bedroom and moving to the couch in the living room. The dogs were quickly ushered back into the bathroom once done with a quick potty break outside, and Frank joined him afterwards. 

“....Mn, I feel like shit.” Frank grumbled, looking at Gee who was happily humming, staring at the tv. 

“If you're feeling better later, can we do that photoshoot of me?” Gee beamed. 

“I thought you traded that in for a place to crash last night.”

“I know, but I feel really pretty today, and I'm willing to pay you.”

Frank raised a brow at the sign of that. “How much?”

Gee pressed his lips together without looking away from the screen, “A kiss from your's truly?” He offered with a small smirk.

“Hah, I think I'll pass...” Frank quickly replied after very little hesitation. It caught him off guard. “..You're uh...gay?”

Gee shrugged, “I don't really know, ya know? Just kinda...lonely.” 

I can see why, Frank thought of saying, shaking the idea off in fear of hurting his feelings. “I guess I can relate. I'm pansexual.”

“Oh? What's that?” Gee perked up at the sound of an unfamiliar word.

“It's where, uh...” Frank hesitated, struggling to find the right way to word it. “I crush on people emotionally more than physically. Like, uh, I don't really care if someone is super ugly, a boy, girl, or anything in between. I just like the emotional connection.” 

Gee nodded, understanding. “I think I like that more than being confused. I think I'm pandasexual too.” 

“Pansexual.” Frank corrected, Gee just nodded and quickly muttered the word as an confirmation of the way to say it. 

“So you don't care if I kiss you?” Gee asked innocently, Frank passing a glance at him. 

“I mean....Yes--- but no. Uh...” 

Just when Frank was about to decide and answer, the doorbell rang thankfully, erasing the awkward atmostphere. Frank excused himself, hopping off the couch quickly to answer the door. He checked through the peephole, seeing Mikey's distorted face on the other side.

“Mikey...” Frank hummed to himself, looking back behind him to see that Gee had disappeared from the couch. He sighed and unlocked the door for him, letting it swing open.

“Hey, Frankie! What's up! I tried texting you” Mikey said casually. 

Fuck, the light was bright. Frank quickly pulled him in and shut the door. 

“Damn, it's dark in here.” Mikey noted, looking around.

“I know. Migraine.” Frank sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Sucks shit, man.” He gave off a half-sympatheic shrug. “Hey, so, me and Ray were thinking we could--”

“Dude,” Frank interrupted, “Not with this fuckin' migraine. It feels like my head's gonna just split in half any second.” That made a short chuckle erupt from Mikey.

“Aw, alright. Text me later then?”

“Yeah yeah.” Frank said, giving a wave of dismissal. 

Mikey frowned at his gesture, but looked around, taking a step further into the apartment. “Is your mom home?” He asked, turning back to face Frank.

“Uh, should be asleep? Why?” 

“Huh, no reason. I just thought I heard you talking to someone.” He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he went back to looking around.

“I was...but he seemed to disappear.” Frank sighed, running a hand through his hair. “The kid's a weirdo.”

“Huh? You had a friend sleep over or something?” Mikey squinted, “Did y'all drink last night or something? Is that what the headache is from?”

“No, we didn't, it's a migraine, and I hardly consider the guy a friend. He just kinda...shows up and goes when he wants.” Frank shrugged, letting his fingers tap against the wall.

“Do I know him?” Mikey asked, interest peaking. 

“Doubt it. Like I said, total weirdo. I don't really think he has any friends...I kinda think I'm his first.”

“Oh.” Mikey smiled and walked back to the door, patting Frank on the back. “That's good of you, man. We should all hang out together sometime if he ain't too weird.” 

“Heh, alright. Sure.” He nudged Mikey towards the door, who quickly got the hint.

“Text ya soon, man.” He said, opening the door quickly and slipping out. His footsteps could be heard going down the stairs. 

Frank relocked the front door and turned around to face Gee, eyes watery. 

“...You...think I'm a weirdo?” He asked, bottom lip slightly quivering. Frank could feel his heart literally sink.

“Oh....oh shit-- you heard that...” Frank looked at the floor, to avoid anything but his eyes.

“I thought we were friends, Frank.” Gee frowned, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “...And yeah, just so you know, you were my first friend.” He emphasized on the word, were, and slipped past him towards the door. 

“Gee-- no! I didn't mean it!” Frank said, trying to grab his wrist. Gee just pulled away sadly, opening the door and shutting it quickly behind him.

Frank immediately reopened the door to stop him, but it seemed that Gee had disappeared into the blazing, bright, morning sun.

“Fuck...” Frank groaned, slamming the door shut again as he retreated back inside. 

He lost another potential friend, he thought as he released the dogs from the bathroom and trudged into his room. Gee was a wonderful candidate, despite his oddities, but it seems that Frank let him slip through his fingers by forgetting that Gee was human too.

He fell face first onto his bed, shoving his pillow around his head to block out light and the throbbing in his head. 

The look in Gee's eyes came to mind...his bright hazel eyes, drained of happiness with the realization that Frank was just another shitty guy. God, that fucked Frank up, and it sure as hell wasn't going to help his migraine. 

He forced out all outside noise, and drifted to sleep, hoping he could find and make up to Gee when he found him again in once awake. Dreams overcame him, but all it was was the repeating phrase:

_“You think I'm a weirdo?”_


	6. Chapter 6

Weeks passed, and not one sighting of that Gee kid again. Frank thought he had run him off for good, which half of him regretted. The kid was weird, but in a nice way. He was comfortable around him after a while of getting use to him, and it was kind of disappointing not to seemingly be stalked every day. It was flattery at most ,when Gee following Frank, but he guessed that didn't matter now.

Weeks became months, and still no sign of Gee. Eventually, winter came early, as usual, and Frank brought out the heavier jackets. Two weeks into winter, and Frank thought that the cold actually might draw Gee out, but it didn't. He just decided it was probably best not to think about him too much, assuming that worrying about Gee might just wear him down. So he didn't. He kept to his work, trying his best not to think of him.

November came. Then Thanksgiving. Frank had been given a slight raise and even a gig to photograph something for a cover of a book. He had to read the book he was working for, which he didn't quite favor (Being another poorly-written vampire romance story. Yuck), but it gave him something to do over the weekends. Not a single thought of Gee came to mind. He practically forgot all about the kid. At least the weight he was feeling on his shoulders from driving him off was gone now.

And now, a week before Christmas. The streets where covered in a white sheet of snow, so school was cut out early for Christmas break. Frank was out and about, happy to hang out with his friends more now for the break. They took him to an ice skating rink, to hang out and have some fun before deciding to go grab lunch at a burger joint they all agreed on sooner or later.

Frank was tying on his skates, focusing because the gloves he was wearing made it harder to tie the laces, and he regretted not picking up his usual fingerless ones in the morning. But it was cold, and his regret quickly washed away with the relief of his warm fingers.

Ray and Mikey were already out on the ice, laughing loudly every time Mikey would slip or fall over, having Ray help him up. Every time the went around, they shouted at Frank to hurry up, getting Frank to just wave them off so he could finish with his skates.

Once up, he carefully took each step towards the ice, holding onto things as he passed, shakily making it and holding onto the rail. Ray just rolled his eyes and skated over, swerving through the other skaters to get to him. 

“Dude, come on. You've done this before.” Ray teased as he skated backwards in front of Frank, watching as Mikey finally skated up after him. 

Frank flipped him the bird with a focused pout, staring at his feet as he tried to maintain balance. Ray groaned, “When you get a hang of it, tell me. I'll be skating on the other half of the rink.” Ray began skating away when he noticed that Mikey was lagging behind. “Come on, Mikes.” Mikey nodded and tried harder to chase him, having Ray giggle as he stumbled after him. 

Frank groaned and kept trying to get going, looking at Mikey flail with Ray way out in front of him. Just like a flash, he felt a force hit him, and he toppled over. Great, he thought, not even a minute on the ice and he's already on his ass. He could already here Mikey and Ray laughing at him from a distance.

“Uh oh, need help?” Said the owner of the extended hand in front of Frank's face. He took the hand, cotton on bare skin, but feeling the cold flesh through the fabric. He was pulled up back onto his skates, and leaned on the hand rails. 

Frank shook any dizziness off, about to thank the stranger quickly when he recognized the face hidden in a shady hoodie. Gee.

“Thank--- oh.” Frank swallowed, meeting Gee's cold gaze. “I uhm...wow. I'm sorry-” He turned to catch up with Ray and Mikey when he felt a tight grasp on his wrist, and he turned back to see Gee, holding onto him.

“Come with me.” He said sternly, not letting his grasp go when Frank pulled, a bit frightened by his tone.

“N-no! G-get off me!” Frank countered, glaring right back. But Gee didn't move, instead, began pulling him with him to the exit of the rink. By this point, Frank was fuming. Gee didn't listen to a single thing he said. “Get off me, you freak!” He shouted, a bit louder, turning a few heads. Gee caught on to the crowd and threw his wrist down.

“Expect me later.” Gee harshly whispered to him, turning to leave once he saw Ray and Mikey speeding their way. 

Frank watched him leave, shaken up, rubbing his wrist when Ray spun him around by surprise. 

“What the fuck was that about?” Ray sneered, watching the hooded figure disappear behind a small crowd of people. Frank only shrugged, spotting Mikey catching up. 

“...It's that weird kid...” Frank said, looking at Mikey, hoping he'd remember. Mikey only shrugged back. 

“Hey- man, don't let that freak get to you. Let's skate.” Ray comforted him, slapping a large hand over his back. Frank only half-smiled, taking him up on the offer, following his lead and eventually getting a hang of skating again. 

For the few hours as they skated, however, Frank couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, and he had to call off the skating early, excusing himself by saying his feet were hurting. Ray and Mikey agreed, following him back to the bench to switch out to their regular shoes again. 

They rode back to Ray's house, since it was closest, to drop off their skates. On the way, the feeling lingered on Frank, and he got chills, despite feeling warm. It wasn't the cold, it was just the glare Gee gave him, bored into his mind. He couldn't shake it off, dealing with it on the way to Ray's. He just kept staring at the window, watching what he thought was birds fly south. He felt Gee's cold grip still lingering on his wrist, and rubbed it subconcioussly. 

They turned down Mrs.Toro's offer of hot cocoa, and skipped right on ahead to a diner for lunch. The sky was still overcast, darker than usual, and Mikey suggested a storm was about to roll in. They decided to hurry things up and grab lunch and get back home and maybe even have a sleepover.

At the diner, most of the people already cleared out to make it home before the storm, leaving the boys and only a few couples left in the diner. One of two waitresses seated them and handed out menus, Frank only slunk back in his seat as his friends ordered for him.

Once back with drinks, the waitress took their order. Ray ordered his usual burger, Mikey, had a corndog, and Frank just agreed to share their fries and have that for himself. The waitress scurried off to put up the order, and the boys all just stared at each other.

“So, Frank?” Mikey pursed his lips together, noticing how quiet he was being, which wasn't like him, “Did you and your boyfriend have a falling out or what?”

“The kid from the rink?” He glared at him, shaking his head, “No, we weren't boyfriends. I'd never date a guy like that weirdo.”

“I've still never seen the guy.” Ray said with a smile, Mikey nodded in agreement. 

“No one seems to see him. It's like only I can sometimes.” Frank said, taking off his gloves and finally setting them on the corner of the table, staring out the window at the falling snow, “He said he has no friends...I mean, I've asked people about him if they recognize him, but eh, no one seems to remember. He just has a weird....face I guess. Forgettable.” He sighed, mumbling to himself, “...Except I can't forget.”

“Oh!” Ray grinned, “You have a crush on him!” 

“Do not!” Frank defended, “I mean-- he's not ugly, but the way he looks at me. It kinda just sticks. I dunno...” 

“...Sounds like a crush to me.” Mikey snickered, Frank only glared. “If he's so cute-- what does he look like?”

Frank could already feel a blush creeping on, and he pulled his jacket up, hoping they couldn't see. “He's feminine. Girly...has these dark...bright eyes. If that makes sense? And the smallest, little teeth. It's weird...He's whiter than the snow outside, uh...”

“Either a zombie or a vampire.” Mikey said matter-of-factly, Ray only nodded in agreement. Frank rolled his eyes.

“He acts like Frankenstein sometimes. Full of wonder one moment, then full of hate the next.” 

“Frankenstein's monster.” Ray corrected, Frank just snorted.

“What the fuck ever.” Frank growled.

“Watch out, he'll come and kill all your friends and family!” Mikey teased, holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers. Frank was getting pushed past annoyance, for no reason that he could find. He just felt aggravated. He slid out from the booth, pushing away from them. 

“I gotta piss.” He said to them, checking back behind the counter to see if their food was near being ready. It wasn't, so he had time to play on his phone.

Mikey and Ray only passed each other glances and excused him, watching Frank waddle off to the bathrooms.

It was a small separate hall that split into two stalled bathrooms. Each having one small stall, a larger one, sink. (With the exception of the boys room, where it had a urinal on the wall as well) Frank slipped in, moving to the urinal to relieve himself. With a sigh, he zipped down his pants and let it go, humming and closing his eyes as he did. 

“Nice pretty voice.” An echo came, “Too bad you use it to say all the wrong things.”

Frank's eyes flew open with the chill down his spine and he quickly pulled up his pants and spun around to see Gee hovering over him. He didn't even hear him enter-- how did he know he was here!

Frank's eyes darted to the door, and Gee clicked his tongue, “It's locked.” He hummed, not taking his gaze from him. 

“W-what do you want--?” Frank stuttered ,backing against the wall, slipping a bit as he did on the tile.

“You...” Gee said quietly, “...To apologize.”

Silence fell in between them and Frank stared right back at him, feeling a flush of relief wash over him. “T-that's it? A sorry?” He scoffed, “You stalk me all this time and all you want is a damn apology?” His voice grew, but Gee did not move.

“...You hurt my feelings...calling me a weird freak...” Frank watched as he pressed his thin, pale lips into an even thinner line as he thought. “Don't make things hard, Frank.” 

Another chill shot up his spine with a mention of his name rolling off his tongue. “I-I don't want to apologize to you! Y-you're just some stranger! What does it matter?!” Frank hissed back, pressing his palm to the wall. 

Gee let out a soft sigh, “I'm sorry.” He said, taking a step back, “...I am being a weirdo...” 

Frank's heart fell at him admitting that about himself, and he shook his head, “N-no! No you're not. Fuck-- look, I'm sorry, Gee. I am. I...I was really shaky that day...and irritated. I had that migraine...”

“I know.” Gee said, “I gave it to you.”

“Look- you're annoying, but not that annoying.” Frank ran a hand down his own face. “I'm sorry. I'm fucking sorry. I didn't mean to freak out on you at the skating rink...I was just scared. You kinda just popped out of the grave. I hadn't seen you in months.”

“Should I apologize for being gone? Or was the break not long enough?” Gee asked, tilting his head. “I wanted to make up before Christmas came along...”

“No no...” Frank sighed, “I uh...I kinda got lonely without you creeping around.” He admitted with a shrug and stuffed his hands into his pockets. 

Gee smiled at that, a big toothy grin. His skin was almost as white as his teeth. “Thank you, Frank.” He bowed slightly. “But uh...can I ask one thing?”

Frank looked back up at him from the floor, meeting his eyes. “Uh, sure?”

“...Can I come over tonight?” He asked, staring right back at him. Frank swallowed.

“Uh, sure...just uh, I gotta cancel some plans.” 

“Great.” Gee grinned, “I will see you at your place at dark!” 

Frank was about to say something but Gee was already heading for the door. Once Gee was out, he let out a relived sigh and rushed to wash his hands before meeting his friends back at the table, where the steamy food was set out for them. But being in the presence of Gee for so long drained Frank of his hunger, and he stood awkwardly on the edge of the table.

“Food's great.” Mikey said, mouth stuffed with corn bread, Ray nodded. 

Frank quickly acknowledged them, feeling his stomach churn. As the waitress passed, Frank caught her quickly, “Hey can I have a to-go box?” 

“Sure thing!” She chirped, scuttling off. Frank looked back down to see Ray and Mikey staring at him in disbelief. 

“What's up, Frank? Did a glory hole catch you?” Ray asked, noticing his odd behavior again.

“No, but that kid did. Gee.” Frank said, looking back at the bathrooms, as if to expect him standing there.

Ray looked back to where he was looking, “In the bathroom? Dude, you were the only one who even went back there.” 

Frank squinted, “No-- that kid was there. I talked to him.” He shrugged, thinking nothing of it, figuring Ray was distracted and just didn't catch him. 

“Gee, huh?” Mikey's voice went quiet, “...Reminds me of...”

“Hey hey hey-- none of that here, Michael Way.” Ray scolded, knowing exactly where that conversation was going. Frank felt bad suddenly and whipped around to see the waitress handing over the styrofoam box. He took it from her and thanked her quickly, looking back at his friends as he put only a handful of fries from the pile in the box. 

He dug in his pocket then, digging out a five and tossing it to Ray. “Thanks for the food, man.” He said quietly, reaching over him to grab his gloves, and slipped them on.

“So are you dropping out from the sleep over?” Ray asked, looking back at Mikey who was still staring at his food blankly. 

“I have to.” He said, “Gee's coming over and the dogs will tear him a new asshole.” An apologetic shrug and he adjusted his beanie, grabbing his box. 

“Hey-- need me to drive ya home? Storms about to hit.” Ray asked, Frank just shook his head. “No thanks man, my house is just around the corner.”

Ray nodded, nudging Mikey to get him out of his daze. “Say bye to Frank, Mikes.” 

Mikey forced a smile at Frank, getting a small wave back, and he turned his attention back to Ray and the food before them.

Frank slipped out the front door of the diner, deciding to quickly trek it home, hating the harsh winds. It was about half a mile, so he decided to step things up a bit. He walked at a faster pace, feeling it get colder and colder. He decided to eat the barely-still-warm fries on the way, feeling his stomach tighten with the heat from them. 

The snow on the sidewalks got harder to walk through with each corner, almost there. Just a block away from his apartment now when he felt another shove, like from earlier at the rink, against him, causing him to fall face first into the snow. He squeaked, unable to catch himself and save his fries as he went down. White, then black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, I forgot I was actually writing something! Tried to make this chapter longer...Sorry!


	7. Chapter 7

Frank awoke in the familiar complete darkness of his room. His body jolted and he felt around, grasping the blankets to get a sensation of where he actually was. His bed, he finally concluded, and from what he could tell, it was really late at night. He curled up tighter in his blanket, desperate for the warmth. It was freezing in his room, but then the banging on the window from the snow storm reminded him that the cold should be the least of his worries.

The last he remembered, he was walking home just as the storm was rolling in. He collapsed...again. Heaving a tired sigh, he sat up, rubbing his eyes. He reached for his phone, not finding it on his nightstand where he usually kept it. He groaned, sitting up in the bed. The only light source that was in his room was the dim blue light emitting from his alarm clock, reading 2:00 am. 

He left the diner late, but not that late, Frank thought, furrowing his brows as he made sure he wasn't just imagining it. He was knocked out for no reason, yet again, and slept for hours. It was going to be hard to fix his sleeping schedule again. He thought about the circumstances. How odd things always happened to him when Gee was around, but shrugged it off, figuring it was just coincidence. 

After minutes of considering the situation, Frank hobbled out of bed, and headed for the bathroom. Instead of finding the door, he ran into chilling flesh covered with cotton. He gasped, forehead colliding with the other's, and he stumbled back with a shout, only for his mouth to be covered and himself, quickly shushed. 

“Shhh,” Said the voice, “Your dogs will freak out again.”

Once his hand moved from Frank's mouth he harshly whispered back, “Gee!? What the fuck are you doing here! How did you get in?”

“Your mom was here, running really late for work, and she invited me in.” He responded softly, trying to ease up the tension in the air between the two of them.

Frank rolled his eyes thinking he was unseen in the dark. “You scared the shit out of me! I thought you were some kind of sick murderer! Why are you here!?”

Gee frowned, “I-I found you on the sidewalk unconscious. The storm was coming in so I uh...thought you needed help.”

Frank felt the heartbreak in his voice, and decided to lighten things up for him, sighing in defeat. “Fuck...fine. Sorry I snapped.” He pressed to fingers to the bridge of his nose, pinching it. “...I have this huge fuckin' headache right now, man.” It came out of nowhere. He woke up feeling find, then there was a sudden pounding in the front of his skull.

Gee only nodded along, “Sorry...” He mumbled, looking away.

Silence fell between them again, Gee just stood awkwardly at the door. Frank was trying to relax from the fright and headache, thinking of something to break the silence. 

“...Uh...Gee?”

“Yes?”

“That day...when you brought me back my stuff-- you told me Mikey told you where I lived. But yesterday...He said he's never seen you before...”

“Weird.” He replied after a second, “Must've forgotten my face...”

“But that's it. Your face isn't forgettable.” Frank said, getting a light giggle from where Gee stood.

“Hehe, thanks! But it sounds kinda...flirty?” He giggled again, and Frank felt his cold body start to warm up again, but mostly in his face where he knew a blush was forming.

“O-oh! Well-- I didn't mean It like that. I mean...uh, fuck...” He groaned, slamming his head back on his pillow.

“Nah, it's okay! I understand!” He grinned, Frank knew, seeing his white teeth shine through the slowly adjusting darkness. He sat down on the edge of the bed then, Frank didn't eve see him move. 

“...Mn...Mikey's a weird kid...” Frank admitted quietly.

“So am I. But you think a lot of people are weird freaks, don't ya? Except for yourself.” Gee hummed, staring at the wall in front of him.

Frank thought about it for a second. He wasn't wrong, but that wasn't how he felt. “I think a lot of people are freaks...weirdos. I think I'm the biggest weirdo of them all, though. I have a few friends, and am a social outcast.” He sighed, “I guess I call other people those names to not think about myself being one.”

Gee fell silent for a while, thinking over what he said, “I don't think you're a freak....I think you're nice and cool and cute.”

“...Cute?”

“Well,” He hummed, “You're not ugly.” Gee giggled shortly again, which Frank was quickly growing fond of; missing it.

“You're not so ugly yourself.” Frank smiled softly, sitting up in bed. He could finally see his dark face, eyes lit up in the dark with his pale skin. 

Gee glanced over at him, passing him a grin, “Well, I guess we're both cute weirdos, huh?”

Frank felt Gee scoot a little closer, his cold aura filling up his quickly. He breathed heavily, looking at the sheets. Oh god, this was happening. And Frank felt Gee's hand pressing onto Frank's. Next thing he knew, Gee's lips were pressed to his own, pushing hard against his. 

Frank too a second to react, realizing what just happened. He focused his eyes on Gee's closed ones, and he pushed himself away, scared. “G-Gee!” He squeaked, feeling his heart pound almost as much as the what was now a dull ache in his skull.

Gee moved again, gripping Frank's hand as his mouth hovered over Frank's jaw and neck, breathing cool air onto his skin, causing Frank to gasp.   
“Gee!” Frank whined, closing his eyes in preparation. Gee dragged his lips across his skin slowly, feeling Frank shudder underneath him. He found a small, familiar spot, and licked over his skin before sucking on that spot.

Frank kept his eyes shut, not daring to open them, panting slightly as he moaned. Gee got a kick out of that, and eagerly did a few more spots, scraping his teeth along his skin, causing Frank to just shover in his spot.

When Gee's lips left the skin on his neck, they returned to Frank's lips suddenly, where they were happily met. They pressed their lips together; Gee, loving getting a few small licks on Frank's bottom lip where he could feel his fingers twitch and fidget underneath his grasp on his hand.

There was no warmth in their kiss, even as Frank welcomed Gee's tongue by parting his lips. Gee's cool, wet tongue explored Frank's mouth for a bit, massaging Frank's tongue with his own, and retreating to suck on his lip. Only having a few kisses his entire life, Frank thought that Gee had to be the best, and he couldn't keep his mind off of him. 

Gee's other hand was found wrapping around Frank's side, squeezing lightly and trying to pull him closer. It was when Gee deepened their kiss after a few gasps, and maneuvered his hand to the crotch of Frank's pants where Frank had to stop things where they were by pressing his free hand to Gee's chest, pushing him away.

“S-stop...” Frank panted, pressing his forehead on Gee's cheek, “Oh god...just stop now, I was about to cum my pants.” 

“Mn,” Gee hummed, “That was the point.” 

Frank's blush returned, and he quickly led the second session, which ended rather sooner than he would've liked. He pulled away for air, noticing how Gee moved to rest his lips on Frank's craned neck to pant over. 

Frank's hand was at Gee's head, tangled in his hair. He gasped again feeling Gee straight up and biting into Frank's neck, hard. 

With a squirm and a squeal, Frank quickly melted into the sensation, having Gee hold his hand all the way through. He became light headed from what he thought was foreplay, loosening his grip on him and slowly laying back.

Gee's vision was fading, and his from Frank's perspective, his room was getting dark again. Things became fuzzy and from that point, Frank swore he heard Gee whisper to him.

 

Awake at noon, and Frank shot up out of bed. He gasped, feeling around for Gee, but not finding him. The light from the window was enough though, and he closed the curtains faster than he had ever before. He rolled out of bed with a loud thud, groaning. He felt around his sore neck, trying to remember what happened. 

All he knew was he was awake, Gee was gone, and he had one of the best nights of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such trash wow omg


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been updating. Sorry! I've been in the process of moving. I hope these next two chapters makes up for that!

“You almost what!?” Ray's voice screeched from the phone laying on the counter while Frank fetched his breakfast. He got down a bowl and spoon, grinning at the phone proudly.

“Yep. We were making out and he was palming me and---I don't know...It felt so good. I think I just passed out or something. Oh my god...” Frank still couldn't believe his night with Gee, shakily pouring some milk into his bowl of cereal, taking the phone with him before plopping down at the table to eat. “It was so fucking hot, man...” He hummed before taking a bite.

“Sounds that way.” Ray said, before quickly interrupting his next sentence, “I mean-- for you! Not for me, god. That sounded so fucking gay.”

Frank laughed, choking on his milk. “I can't believe you, man.” 

Ray was stuttering on the other end, “Oh! Fuck you!”

Frank cooled down after a few seconds, grinning like crazy, “The guy is gone now...but he marked me up real good...” He closed his eyes, remembering the sensation of Gee's lips on his neck, running his fingers over the bite marks. “Kinda soft...small bruises now. He bites hard.”

Ray just giggled again, “I wouldn't know man- I'm not into that shit.”

Frank opened his eyes again to eat some more cereal, remembering how Ray identified himself as asexual. “I was planning on goin' out today to see if I could find him, but it's freezing.”

“Why not text him?”

“I don't think he has a phone...” Frank never bothered to ask, never really even thinking about it. He didn't consider Gee a close enough friend to have his number. Well, now, it's different, obviously, but he was unsure. 

“Well, next time you see him, get his number.” Ray was giggling, “He can be your booty call.”

“Woah man!” Frank sputtered, “He's just a friend! If even that! He's still kinda weird-- ya know? I mean...” He groaned, “...I don't know if I wanna have sex with him yet or uh...if we are even dating.”

“You don't have to date to have a lil' fun, Frankie. Haven't you had sex before?” Ray was laughing again, causing Frank to roll his eyes. He was one to talk. 

“Yeah, of course! With Jamia! But she wasn't a dude!” Frank quickly defended, glad Ray wasn't in the room to see him blush. He took another spoonful of cereal.

“It's gotta be like...the same. Except in the butt--” Ray started slowly, teasing him.

“No! Dude! Shut up! We are not having this conversation!” Frank blurted out, hearing him laugh from Frank's reaction.

“Fine fine! Just do some research before you two decide to get real frisky!” Ray warned.

Frank rolled his eyes again, “Mhm, 'kay, thanks mom.”

“Hey- dude, text ya later. Mikey just showed up for a LAN party.” 

“Alright, see ya, man.” Frank said, holding the phone to hang up once he was gone.

“Bye.”

Frank clicked the phone off and set it aside to finish his breakfast, throwing it in the sink and rinsing it out quickly. Once his bowl was cleaned,he grabbed his phone and set out to plop down on the couch, flipping on the tv for background noise as he brought up the browser on his phone to google.

He typed in: “how to have gay sex.” His face heated up as he clicked an about page on gay life. God, no one was even around, and he felt embarrassed for himself. He read up on a few pages: STD prevention, condom use and tips, the need for excessive lubrication, foreplay...all the good stuff. He spent a good thirty minutes reading up and learning, getting a half hard-on, just from reading about it.

He imagined himself with Gee, sucking each other off before plowing each other into the mattress. Who would even top? He wondered. Frank bit his lip, grateful for the basketball shorts he was wearing. Despite the need to get off, Frank decided against it. He figured, it would be best to save up for Gee, if they got that far, and only take a cold shower for now.

He threw his phone to the side and hopped up off the couch, heading to the bathroom to shower real quick. It was only a few minutes in, and in that few minutes, he managed to calm himself down while shampooing his hair. The thought of Gee left his mind almost completely. Frank stepped out of the shower, towel around his waist, fixing his wet hair in the mirror when he heard his phone go off back in the living room.

He didn't bother dressing himself, scurrying out to answer the incoming phone call. It was from his manager at the Gazette's printing office. 

“Iero, how's it going?” The deep voice over the phone asked. 

“Uh, fine.” Frank replied, rubbing his neck, feeling the sore spots where Gee left his marks. “What's up?”

“I have a reporter out right now interviewing witnesses, but we managed to get an early scoop on a really recent murder out near the ice rink on Trotter. The body was found half an hour ago, and is suspected to be hit over night. I need you to get down there and grab some photos.” There was a short pause, “But only if you're up to it.”

Frank groaned to himself and away from the phone. He just woke up and they want him to go out and work? Ridiculous. And of a real body. “Uh, sure?” He pressed his lips in a thin line, “But wouldn't photos of something gruesome like a murder scene really...put off readers?”

Silence came from the other end of the line, until his manager spoke again, “I actually signed you up to take photos for the police department today. You should be thanking me. It just so happens that the victim was their old photographer. So I got you working for the both of us now.”

Frank was surprised. That was a good job, and he just fell right in over a rare circumstance. Two times in a row? Taking two dead mens' photography jobs. Thank god his boss was kick ass and chill about that kind of stuff. He was now the photographer of the newspaper and a crime scene investigator. What a fucking promotion to wake up to.

“Thank you, sir.” He said, popping his locked jaw, “Trotter, you said?” 

“Yeah, they say it's the Chupacabra again. Just go out there and scope things out, alright?”

Frank was already walking back to the bathroom to finish up. “Sure thing. Do I just return the photos to you?”

“Yeah, that'll be fine. Thanks.” He said, and the phone clicked off.

Frank set his cell down and quickly got dressed. He made sure he picked up a high collar button up with a jacket and scarf, to hide the hickeys and holes in his neck. He threw on a pair of holey jeans with his usual converse, and grabbed a hat and his camera bag before hurrying out the door. 

Frank stumbled down the stairs and decided to just run over there, rather than taking the time to call up Ray for a lift. (He had no idea where his bike had disappeared to.) Thank goodness it wasn't too far away. He nearly flew down the flight of stairs down from his apartment and to the sidewalk.

He could feel his shoes crunching the snow underneath, stumbling a bit as he made almost a dead sprint towards Trotter Lane. 

When he saw the flashing blue and red lights, he felt more motivated to run even faster, and so he did. In merely a minute more, he reached his destination, gasping for air and resting hands on his knees, slouched, just for a few seconds. He lifted his head up to see a tall, bulky man in a police uniform before him.

“Iero?” He bellowed, causing Frank to stand straight up, “You're late.”

Frank rubbed his eyes, emphasizing how tired he still was, despite his shower and good news waking up some more. “Sorry. I literally just woke up and ran over.”

The police man nodded, handing him a piece of paper that said he was allowed to be there, then lifting the yellow tape to let him pass. Frank quickly shifted through the small crowd, following a few people. He found the body quickly, feeling his stomach churn at the site.

The body was paler than he imagined, blue where there would be pink. His cheeks were hallow and his skin was flaky, falling apart. There was no stench like he imagined, so he figured it was because the body was relatively new or because there was nothing inside of him organ-wise. He took out his camera and began taking pictures, focusing on the body as a whole then refocusing on the details.

It seemed as if the victim had nothing inside of him. No blood, no organs, nothing. It was basically a stack of bones with a stretched, thin, flaky white canvas over it. He zoomed a bit on some inflicted wounds on the victim's neck, similar to the ones on his own, but he paid no mind to it.

 

It was a good ten minutes-worth of a photo shoot of the body, and Frank was quite proud of himself for taking it so well. It was his first dead body after all. 

It was still early, and the light was really taking a toll on Frank. He decided to wrap things up and hurry out of there, hitching a ride in a patrol car back to the newspaper office to print copies for both the paper and the police station. After his copies printed, he gave them out, got his pay, and got a ride back to the apartment right as a migraine hit his head.

He went into his room, turning off all the lights, and going to the window to shut the curtains when a face popped up right in his view.

Gee.

Frank screeched, stumbling backwards. Gee, on the other side, was giggling. While Frank was trying to get his breath back, Gee just continued to knock lightly on the glass of the window. 

Frank quickly stumbled to his feet, opening the window, gasping loudly. “W-what are you doing?! How did you get up here?”

Gee grinned, “I like to climb.” He said, “Invite me in?”

Frank stared blankly at him. Invite him in? Gee's manners were always odd. 

“Uh, yeah, sure, come in?” Frank ran a hand through his hair and groaned, crawling into his bed, hearing Gee crawl through the window and shutting it back in place. Frank stuffed his face into his pillow with a groan, “Is this about last night?”

“Uh, kinda...?” Gee laughed, “How'd ya know?”

How did he know? Gee wasn't serious, was he? They can't just make out and pretend it's nothing. Of course it was about last night. “'Had a hunch.”

Gee smiled softly and went to the bed with him, sitting on the edge and running his hand down his arm affectionately. “...I saw you got my message.” 

Frank groaned, reaching for his phone to read whatever message he was talking about, “No? I didn't think you had a phone--” 

“Not a text message. The body.” 

Silence came again, and Frank shot up from bed, scooting away from Gee, staring at him with wide eyes. “W..what are you talking about? How did you know--”

“It's my message to you.” Gee said shyly, swirling his finger onto his own palm. “...My love letter.”

Frank squinted, “Excuse me? Are you trying to tell me you killed someone for me?” He let out a sarcastic laugh, wheezing in sudden relief. “...Oh, hah, good one. Fuck. Fuck...you scared me for a second.”

“I'm not joking, Frank. I killed that man. I got you that job as a private investigator. I did it for you.” 

Frank stared back up at him, panic filling his chest. “N-no that's impossible. They said the Chupacabra got that guy-- sucked out the blood and the guts and everything-- the guy was toast. There's no way some kid could've done that.”

“But I did.” He giggled, taking Frank's hand, only to have him pull it away instantly. Gee just sighed, rolling his eyes, “...I'm not a chupacabra.” He forced himself to put on a smile, trying to lighten the mood. But Frank's eyes were wide in fear as he feared what Gee was saying was the truth. That, or he was just crazy.

“...You didn't kill that man.” Frank said, trying to convince himself more than Gee.

“Frank, look.” He bared his teeth, exposing a sharper canine than normal when he pulled back his lip, dropping it again. “I'm never around in the light...my skin...I'm cold...my teeth...for crying out loud, Frank, I've been sucking your blood! Have you not seen Twilight?”

Frank glared at him, “What the hell are you saying?” He sounded offended now, hands flying to feel the two holes in his neck, gasping at his own cold touch. “You think you're a vampire? Huh? Is that it?”

“I am a vampire.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda a continuation from the last chapter Haha

“I am a vampire.” Gee said, face serious. “...And I've been finding myself falling in love with a human and it's hurting me and it's not supposed to be that way so I just....I thought you'd like if...”

Frank was trying to figure out what he was saying, heart racing as it was all starting to make sense.

“Are you trying to turn me!?” He screamed, scooting to the corner of his bed, further aware from him.

“Trying? I uh...no...I uh...it started as feeding but now it's uh—you're already in the stages, Frank. You're a vampire.” Gee looked down at his own hands, feeling ashamed.

Frank's gut sank, “What in the world made you think that was a good idea!? Oh my god-- Gee-- what the fuck where you thinking?! What the hell is going to happen to me!?”

“I was thinking we could fall in love and live together!” Gee defended, “I-I've never had any friends-- You're my first. I just...”

Frank was glaring at him, “You didn't what?”

“I didn't want to see my first love die before me...” Gee whispered, looking back up at him, “...I know...I should've asked. But you were going to say no! I can't just go up to someone and say, 'hey, I'm a vampire. I'm going to turn you so we can stay bffs forever.' It doesn't work that way! It never does!”

Frank was gasping, having a slight panic attack. “Y-you--- all my friends--- Gee! If I turn! I'm going to outlive my dogs-- my mom! My fucking friends! What the fuck!?” He shoved Gee right off the bed, panting. “You are going to turn me into a murderer! Gee! I can't—what the fuck!?”

Gee tried to keep calm, tensing up at his hostility.”...I love you, Frank. Please. You have to understand--”

“Don't fucking talk to me.” 

Silence.  
“Did you fucking hear me, you creep?!” Frank shouted at him. 

Gee's eyes went wide, a glint of red and pain shooting through them. Frank's chest was heaving, still trying to grasp everything. He fell back onto his bed, pointing to the window. 

“I want you out of my house. I don't want you to ever come back, you piece of shit. You fucking hear me? You ruined my life, now it's my turn to ruin your's--” 

“My life was already ruined, Frank!” Gee hissed, “I lost my family! Fuck-- my own brother thinks I'm dead! When really, I'm in the same goddamn town as him, trying to fuck his friend.”

“...His friend...?” Frank's voice softened, blinking slowly. 

The light set in through the fabric of the curtains, letting it hit Gee's face. The features started to really shine. His jaw...eyes...brows...mouth... Everything was almost an exact copy of his friend.

“I'm Gerard.” He said finally, curling his hands into fists, glaring into Frank's soul. “I watch him every day. He's cried for me...and I can't show my face around him! He-- he wouldn't accept this! And now...I get to watch him die before my eyes. At least you don't have siblings.”

“Fuck....fuck...” Frank was gasping again, reaching out for Gerard. “Gee-- Gee--- I didn't know-- fuck. Why didn't you--”

“Tell you? Oh maybe because you're best friends with him and you would've told him!” He groaned, stepping away from him. “Forget about it, Frank. You hate me. Tell him all you want. He won't believe you.”

“B-but you don't even want to try? What the hell? He's your damn brother, Gee! He loves you to death! Just tell him!”

“You know how long it took for me to bring up the courage to talk to you? Years. I've been crushing on you for years...and we ran into each other that day...I totally planned it-- I just.” He wiped his eyes, “Whatever. You hate me. It doesn't matter.”

“I don't hate you.” Frank said, “I-I'm sorry I snapped-- but it's not everyday I get told I'm a vampire!”

“I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!” Gee sighed, “I'm sorry...please...I'm sorry.”

Frank sighed with him, deciding against kicking him out. Instead, he walked up to him and brought his arms around his neck, kissing him softly.

“You're the first boyfriend I've had. I mean...fuck. You killed that person. You killed those people. I shouldn't be accepting this-- but I am.” He kissed his cheek again, “You taught me to accept that part of me. And I thank you for that.”

Gee sniffled, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “T-thank you, Frank.”

“You have to make two promises with me though, if we're really going to do this.”

“Yeah. Yeah...anything.” Gerard purred, running his hands down Frank's sides.

Frank pulled away slightly, “One, you tell Mikey. We'll tell him together. Hell, if things work out, he may become a vamp too. Ray too even.”

“Frank-- it's not that easy--”

“And two...” Frank kissed his lips again quickly, “No more killing.”

“Frank, I can't-- we can't--”

“We can, and we'll find a way.”

Gee tightened his grasp on Frank, nodding slowly. Their promises were now set in stone.


	10. Chapter 10

Gee, or, now wanting to go by his first name, Gerard, spent the night over at Frank's. It wasn't even night time, but seeing how their schedules were going to turn upside down, they might as well learn to fuck it up together. (Though, Gerard's has been for a long time now.)

It was about seven in the evening when they woke up on Frank's bed together, groaning as they rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. The sun was set and Gerard was tangled up in Frank's legs. His mom probably didn't know he was home, because the door was still closed, instead of leaving it open like she always does when she enters his room. She should be at work now. So that was in the clear.

Frank sat up, roaming to the window to open the curtains, seeing the sun get it's last bit of light left over the horizon. Gerard was still mumbling, wanting to sleep more. Frank just smiled back at him, watching the night set in.

Without a sound, Gee had sprung from bed and to the back of Frank, wrapping his arms around his stomach lovingly, kissing his neck.

“I'm hungry.” He whispered, raking the tips of his teeth along Frank's cool skin, causing a shiver to shoot down the smaller boy's spine.

“Don't feed of me.” Frank hummed back, closing his eyes. “There's a steak in the fridge. Come on.”

Gerard let out a groan in protest, but clung to Frank's shirt as he pulled him along into the kitchen. The dogs yapped up at them both, cowering when Gee yapped back, giggling afterwards. Offended, Frank gently hit the back of Gerard's head, as a sign to tell him not to fuck with his dogs. 

Gerard complied, hopping on the counter and watching as Frank pulled out a juicy, red steak, still in the packaging. Gee licked his lips, being handed the steak, and dove in, tearing the plastic with his nails and pushing it aside to gnaw at the meat itself. 

Frank leaned back on another counter, watching as he ate the meal, smiling contently. “I can't believe I am feeding a murderer a raw steak.” He sounded almost in disbelief still, shaking off the thought of Gerard actually killing people just to survive.

“And this murderer is going to feed you.” Gerard responded, tearing off a piece of the t-bone and stretching to hand it to Frank, who gave him a befuddled look in return. “Eat. You're turning, soon, your entire diet will change. Might as well start to get a taste for red red red meat.” 

Frank stared down at the piece of beef in his fingers, twisting it in his sight. He bit his lip, feeling a slow hunger creep up from the depths of his stomach. A small growl came and hissed it away, closing his eyes and scrunching up his nose as he bit into the new snack. Instinctively, a purr came out, and he finished up the small chunk in just a few more bites, chewing it with pleasure in his smile.

“Not bad.” He said finally after swallowing, “I think that's a good alternative than just...” He wiped the bit of a mess he had left on his lips and cheek with the back of his hand, “...Blood.”

Gee grinned, “It works most of the time. It's just hard to get to.”

Frank held out his hand for more from Gerard, who happily gave him a slightly larger piece to chew on. “Have you ever tried eating animals? Like deer and birds and shit?”  
“Have you ever tried catching a bird?” Gerard laughed, “I can fly an' all, but birds are fast. So are deer. It's hard to eat something that's moving.”

“What about things that aren't so fast?” Frank asked in between bites.

“I've had a few cows, but it feels wasteful.”

“How so?”

“Well, I can't just eat an entire cow.” Gerard laughed, “That's so much meat! And it doesn't take long for it to go bad and the vultures to get it. I may be a vampiric murderer, but I refuse to eat after a vulture.”

Frank nodded, feeling like he had an understanding of what he meant. “How about...pigs?”

“Pigs are harder to find around these parts.”

“Chickens?”

“Delicious, but stinky. Not a lot of nice blood.”

“Taste like chicken?”

Gerard and Frank laughed together, finishing the steak and cleaning up together.

“You never told me where you lived.” Frank said after a few seconds of silence as he washed his hands and face in the kitchen sink.

“Oh, right.” Gee giggled a bit, “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

Frank stopped the water and turned around to face him, raising a brow, “I didn't believe you when you said you were a vampire. Now look at us. Talking like it's everyday news.” He rolled his eyes and chuckled, drying his hands on a dishrag. 

“I live in a cave. A few miles from here.”

“So a cave, huh? You walked all the way back and forth from there to me?” Frank smiled, “Sounds like you're really taking a part of being part bat.”

“I can fly, remember. I just told you that. And we aren't entirely part bat. That's just a folklore kinda thing. We just really like blood and happen to be able to fly and sometimes turn into them. Kinda like shape shifters.”

“You say that like shape shifters are real.”

“They are. Your friend is one of them.”

Frank stopped laughing sarcastically and gave him a look, “Oh no...shit. You're not joking.”

“Nope. That Toro kid is one. Anyone can smell it.”

“How would you know?”

“I can smell him. Duh.” Gee laughed again, “He's so damn smart, Frankie. I'm sure he already figured out you've been talking to me this entire time. He's probably a hundred years old or so.”

“And he stays in the form he's in because...?”

“I'd change my looks too if I could.” Gerard said, shrugging, “Maybe he just needs the friends. I know I do.”

“You did.” Frank corrected, slithering up to him. “You have me now. And if all things go well, you can have Ray too.”

“Vamps and Shifters don't really get along...”

“I thought it was supposed to be vamps and werewolves?” Frank said behind a short giggle.

“You're such Twilight trash.” Gerard laughed, “But werewolves are bigger douches because-”

Gerard was about to go more into detail when the doorbell rang, and they shot each other a quick look. Frank forced himself to pull away from Gerard, waddling up to the door and getting a glance at who may be on the other side through the peephole.

Mousy-colored haired and glasses shined back.

Mikey Way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty short. I'm trying to build up more and more suspense per chapter as well as update more frequently.


End file.
